An extensive abdominal wall defect is rare but severe trauma. Here, we have described the case of a male patient in his 20s who sustained extensive abdominal wall injury and intra-abdominal organ damage after being caught in a noodle stirring machine. We used ABTHERA as a substitute for a defective abdominal wall, achieved open abdominal management and temporary closure of a wide abdominal wall defect, and performed staged reconstruction surgery.

Patients with factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency present with a bleeding tendency that is difficult to diagnose because their coagulation test results are normal. We herein report a case of a 74-year-old male who presented to our hospital in cardiac arrest. After resuscitation, he was found to have sigmoid volvulus and necrosis; therefore, an emergency laparotomy was performed. Intraoperative findings revealed an extensive strangulated ileus in addition to sigmoid volvulus. We performed resection without reconstruction and maintained open abdominal management (OAM) for six days. After abdominal closure, the patient experienced postoperative bleeding four times from the mesenteric transection; three of the bleeding episodes required open hemostasis. Since he had mild coagulopathy during each bleeding episode, FXIII deficiency was suspected and diagnosed. After administration of FXIII concentrate, the tendency to intraoperative bleeding improved significantly. FXIII deficiency should be considered in cases of repeated severe bleeding, even when coagulation tests reveal no major abnormalities.

BACKGROUND: Pylephlebitis, a rare and lethal form of portal venous septic thrombophlebitis, often arises from infections in regions drained by the portal vein. Herein, we report a case of peritonitis with portal vein thrombosis due to acute severe appendicitis, managed with intensive intraperitoneal drainage via open abdominal management (OAM).
METHODS: A 19-year-old male with severe appendicitis, liver abscesses, and portal vein thrombosis developed septic shock and multi-organ failure. After emergency interventions, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. Antibiotic treatment based on cultures revealing multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis and anticoagulation therapy (using heparin and edoxaban) was initiated. Despite continuous antibiotic therapy, the laboratory results consistently showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers. On the 13th day, open abdominal irrigation was performed for infection control. Extensive intestinal edema precluded wound closure, necessitating open-abdominal management in the intensive care unit. Anticoagulation therapy was continued, and intra-abdominal washouts were performed every 5 days. On the 34th day, wound closure was achieved using the anterior rectus abdominis sheath turnover method. The patient recovered successfully and was discharged on the 81st day.
CONCLUSIONS: Alongside appropriate antibiotic selection, early surgical drainage and OAM are invaluable. This case underscores the potential of anticoagulation therapy in facilitating safe surgical procedures.

UNASSIGNED: Hybrid emergency room systems, namely hybrid ER (HER), enable us to perform computed tomography (CT), surgery, and interventional radiology (IVR) without patient transfer. HER significantly shortened the time to CT after arrival and allowed us to achieve early intervention, resulting in reduced mortality from exsanguination in patients with severe blunt trauma.
UNASSIGNED: We encountered a patient diagnosed with left common iliac artery occlusion and dissection caused by blunt traumatic compressive abdominal injury with transection of the small intestine, kidney, and adrenal and pelvic ring fractures. Although the patient experienced cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) immediately after CT, we performed damage control surgery (DCS) and IVR after temporary aortic occlusion in the HER and resuscitated the patient.
UNASSIGNED: The present case, in which rapid diagnosis and intervention were performed and the patient was successfully resuscitated, supports the efficacy of the HER system for managing severe blunt trauma.

UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to compare open abdominal management (OAM) between visible negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and commercial NPWT to determine whether NPWT can detect intestinal ischemia in its early stages without causing complications or worsening prognosis, and to determine whether the actual visualization results in early detection.
UNASSIGNED: Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent OAM with visible NPWT (A: 32 patients) and those who underwent OAM with commercial NPWT (B: 12 patients). We compared background factors, disease severity, vital signs, blood test values, and 28-day outcomes between the two groups. We also checked the records to determine how many visualized cases were detected early and operated on. We then examined the weaknesses of this method.
UNASSIGNED: No differences were observed in the background factors or disease severity between the two groups. The duration of the open abdomen and intensive care unit stay were significantly shorter for group A than for group B. The groups showed no significant differences in lactate levels, 28-day outcomes, complications during OAM, or other factors. After a review of the medical records, ischemic progression was detected early, and surgery could be performed in seven cases in the visible NPWT group. The progression of ischemia was confirmed at the time of the second-look operation in two cases in the ascending colon.
UNASSIGNED: The visualization device allowed us to gain insights into the intra-abdominal cavity and determine the appropriate time for closing the abdomen without worsening the prognosis.

Colorectal perforation with systemic peritonitis requires prompt surgical attention, and damage control surgery (DCS) is performed in patients with severe injuries. This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the efficacy of DCS in patients with colonic perforation.
UNASSIGNED: From January 2013 to December 2019, 131 patients with colorectal perforation underwent emergency surgery at our hospital. Among these, 95 patients required postoperative intensive care unit management and were included in this study; of these patients, 29 (31%) underwent DCS, and 66 (69%) underwent primary abdominal closure (PC).
UNASSIGNED: Patients who underwent DCS had significantly higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (23.9 [19.5-29.5] vs. 17.6 [13.7-22]; P<0.0001) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) (9 [7-11] vs. 6 [3-8]; P<0.0001) scores than did those who underwent PC. The initial operation time was significantly shorter for DCS than for PC (99 [68-112] vs. 146 [118-171]; P<0.0001). The 30-day mortality and colostomy rates were not significantly different between the two groups.
UNASSIGNED: The results suggest that DCS is useful in the management of acute generalized peritonitis caused by colorectal perforation.

BACKGROUND: Damage control strategy (DCS) has been introduced not only for trauma but also for acute abdomen, but its indications and usefulness have not been clarified. We examined clinical characteristics of patients who underwent DCS and compared clinical characteristics and results with and without DCS in patients with septic shock.
METHODS: We targeted a series of endogenous abdominal diseases in Kansai Medical University Hospital from April 2013 to March 2019. Clinical characteristics of 26 patients who underwent DCS were examined. Then, clinical characteristics and results were compared between the DCS group (n = 26) and non-DCS group (n = 31) in 57 patients with septic shock during the same period.
RESULTS: All 26 patients who underwent DCS had septic shock, low mean arterial pressure (MAP) before the start of surgery, and required high-dose norepinephrine administration intraoperatively. Their discharge mortality rate was 12%. Among the patients with septic shock, the DCS group had a higher SOFA score (P = 0.008) and MAP was lower preoperatively, but it did not increase even with intraoperative administration of large amounts of fluid replacement and vasoconstrictor. There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality and discharge mortality between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: DCS may be useful in patients with severe septic shock.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the utility of the open abdominal management (OA) technique for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA).
METHODS: Between January 2016 and August 2021, 33 patients underwent open surgery for rAAA at our institution. The patients were divided into OA (n = 12) and non-OA (n = 21) groups. We compared preoperative characteristics, operative data, and postoperative outcomes between the two groups. The intensive care unit management and abdominal wall closure statuses of the OA group were evaluated.
RESULTS: The OA group included significantly more cases of a preoperative shock than the non-OA group. The operation time was also significantly longer in the OA group than in the non-OA group. The need for intraoperative fluids, amount of bleeding, and need for blood transfusion were significantly higher in the OA group than in the non-OA group. Negative pressure therapy (NPT) systems are useful in OA. In five of the six survivors in the OA group, abdominal closure was able to be achieved using components separation (CS) technique.
CONCLUSIONS: NPT and the CS technique may increase the abdominal wall closure rate in rAAA surgery using OA and are expected to improve outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to examine the surgical outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm cases at our hospital and considered strategies for improvement. Material and Methods: We examined the preoperative characteristics of hospital mortality, postoperative complications, and long-term outcomes of 91 surgical cases of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm performed between January 2009 and December 2020 at our hospital. Results: Of the 91 cases, 24 died at the hospital (mortality, 26.3%). Mortality was mostly due to hemorrhage/disseminated intravascular coagulation and intestinal necrosis. Ten patients required preoperative aortic clamp by thoracotomy or insertion of intra-aortic balloon occlusion, and eight of them died. Ten patients required open abdominal management due to abdominal compartment syndrome, and five of them died. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the long-term results of the open repair and abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Conclusion: To improve the surgical outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms, it is necessary to start surgery immediately. Therefore, the choice of surgical method (open surgery or EVAR) should be based on the resources and discretion of the hospital. To prevent postoperative intestinal necrosis, risk factors for acute compartment syndrome should be considered, and open abdominal management should be introduced.

UNASSIGNED: Secondary aortoenteric fistula is a fatal cause of gastrointestinal bleeding after aortic reconstructive surgery with a prosthesis. In most cases, the proximal suture line is involved. We herein report a rare case in which the fistula formed between the suture line of inferior mesenteric artery reimplantation and the jejunum.
UNASSIGNED: An 82-year-old man was transferred to our hospital due to hematemesis with severe hypovolemic shock. Although he fell into cardiopulmonary arrest, immediate resuscitation achieved return of spontaneous circulation. As his surgical history of aortic reconstruction and computed tomography findings suggested potential secondary aortoenteric fistula, emergency surgery was carried out. The anastomosis between the inferior mesenteric artery and aortic graft was communicating with the jejunum. Partial jejunal resection was undertaken, and the aortic graft was replaced.
UNASSIGNED: The anastomosis between the inferior mesenteric artery and aortic graft in the previous aortic replacement can become the site of secondary aortoenteric fistula.